About This Position

Job Description:

IT Solutions Architect

Purpose:

This position is responsible for defining and designing architecture that drives the City towards targeted outcomes by leveraging existing and innovative technology to enable the City’s future-state business capabilities and business models. This position aligns IT and enterprise strategy, maintains business capability models to reflect new or improved processes or IT systems, creates common standards to ensure integrity of the models, and influences enterprise strategy.

Duties, Functions and Responsibilities:

Essential duties and functions, pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, may include the following. Other related duties may be assigned.

• Promotes digital business initiatives and identifies potential impact on the City’s critical financial metrics and economic architectures.
• Supports business and technology innovation that drives the City’s objectives.
• Engages key business stakeholders and product managers to facilitate both strategy and innovation planning.
• Collaborates with stakeholders involved in digital strategy and digital innovation to develop an IT investment roadmap.
• Creates deliverables that illustrate how to strategically move the business forward.
• Works with enterprise architects and key organizational stakeholders to define a strategic plan for leveraging integrated architecture as part of the enterprise architecture.
• Participates in enterprise strategy development, including environmental analysis, opportunity identification, value cases and business innovation portfolio development.
• Provides strategic consultation to product managers in defining or designing business capabilities, processes, functions and organizational structures, as well as in researching, identifying and internally marketing, selling and enabling technologies based on business and end-user requirements.
• Participates in enterprise architecture development, including business architecture, information architecture, application portfolio and technical architecture, and champions the balance of flexibility and risk.
• Facilitates agreement on organizational work models and processes to meet business requirements.
• Seeks ways to apply new technology to, and reuse existing technology for, business processes.
• Researches and provides information on technical trends and competitors' practices relevant to assigned products and value streams.

Responsibilities - Supervisor and/or Leadership Exercised:

May provide leadership, work assignments, evaluation, training, and guidance to others.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Must possess required knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience and be able to explain and demonstrate, with or without reasonable accommodations, that the essential functions of the job can be performed.

• Knowledge of business architecture tools and techniques, including strategy on a page, strategic planning, business model canvas, disruptions and trends, balance scorecard, economical modeling, risks and interdependencies, process models, business capability modeling, ecosystems modeling, customer and user profiling, journey maps, and human-centric design.
• Knowledge and understanding of different types of business and operating models (existing, new, emerging and hybrid).
• Knowledge of existing, new and emerging technologies and being able to practically incorporate them into new business designs and business models.
• Knowledge of architecture methodologies (e.g., SABSA, Zachman, TOGAF) and modeling languages (such as UML and ArchiMate).
• Knowledge in all aspects of designing and constructing business processes, functions and organizational structures.
• Knowledge of facilitation and organization change management.
• Skill in analytical and conceptual skills and proven ability to create original concepts and theories for a variety of projects.
• Knowledge of finance, accounting, valuation and metrics development.
• Skill in statistical and information analysis.
• Skill in financial analysis, architecture evaluation, solutions delivery orchestration, project management, road mapping, risk management, interdependency management, agile methodologies, information security, cloud computing infrastructure, data architecture skills.
• Ability to be organizationally savvy, understanding of the political climate of the City and how to navigate obstacles and politics.
• Ability to apply multiple technical solutions to enable future-state business capabilities that, in turn, drive targeted business outcomes.
• Ability to communicate, influence and persuade — both business and IT leaders as well as peers.
• Ability to adapt to rapidly changing technology and apply it to business needs.
• Ability to establish and maintain a high level of customer trust and confidence.
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment and lead cross-functional teams, with the proven ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to leverage intellectual curiosity to inform solutions and innovate.
• Ability to take responsibility for personal growth and acquire strategies for gaining new knowledge, behaviors and skills.
• Ability to adhere to required compliance to all change management policies and procedures.
• Ability to adhere to required compliance to all information security policies and procedures.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Graduation with a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in a field related to the job, plus four (4) years of experience in a related field.
• Experience may substitute for education for up to four (4) years.
• Graduation with a Master's degree from an accredited college or university in a related field may substitute for two (2) years of experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in the design and development of enterprise-level Java web applications and complex integrations of disparate systems using APIs, messaging, and middleware.
• Strong understanding of Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) principles.
• Experience with Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) concepts, tools, and best practices.
• Familiarity with Design Patterns, MVC Frameworks, RESTful/SOAP Web Services, XSLT, and XPath.
• Experience with message brokers such as Apache Kafka, RabbitMQ or ActiveMQ.
• Experience with integration frameworks like Apache Camel or Spring Integration.
• Proficiency in developing, analyzing, troubleshooting, debugging, and optimizing application and middleware integration solutions.
• Experience with relational databases (RDBMS), SQL, and persistence frameworks such as JPA or Hibernate.
• Experience with software development life cycle (SDLC) including requirements gathering, development, testing, deployment, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Experience following team standards, coding conventions and best practices.
• Experience using both Agile/Scrum and Waterfall development methodologies.

Other:

• Ability to travel to more than one work location.

Notes to Candidate:

Austin Energy is seeking an IT Solutions Architect to join the Application Development & Integration workgroup. While the official title is "Solutions Architect", this role functions primarily as a senior-level software developer.

This position is responsible for developing enterprise-level web applications and complex system integrations that connect and enable communication between disparate systems and services. The candidate will collaborate closely with project teams to support the full lifecycle of application and integration projects. This includes gathering requirements, translating business needs into technical specifications, designing software solutions, troubleshooting issues, deploying solutions, and monitoring performance to ensure the stability and efficiency of application supported by this work group.

The ideal candidate should have the following competencies:

• A deep understanding of software development practices, frameworks, and integration technologies.
• Ability to design and develop secure, scalable, and maintainable enterprise applications.
• Experience with application integration (e.g., integrating enterprise systems via APIs, messaging queues, or middleware).
• Commitment to code quality, testing, and adherence to established development standards and best practices.
• Ability to provide technical guidance, conduct code reviews, and support the professional growth of peers.
• Proficiency in estimating level of effort, prioritizing tasks, and delivering projects on schedule.
• Strong collaboration skills with diverse teams, stakeholders, and business partners.

Work Location:

• Austin Energy Headquarters, 4815 Mueller Blvd., Austin, Texas 78723

Schedule:

• Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. activity - Flexible 40 Hour Work Week.
• Telework opportunities may be available after an initial training period.
• Work schedules are implemented to meet the requirements of the department and are subject to change based on business needs.

Salary:

$85,120.00 - $109,400.00 annually, depending on qualifications and experience.

Employment Application:

The City of Austin employment application is an official document; incomplete applications will not be considered. Please be sure to detail on the application all current and previous employment that you wish to be considered as part of your qualifications.

The Employment Record should be complete with job titles, employment dates, job duties, functions, and responsibilities for each position held. Starting salary will be based on overall relevant experience from your application.

Résumés will not be accepted and statements such as “see résumé” will not be accepted. You may use “N/A” for fields that are not applicable.

Please note that Austin Energy may close the job posting at any time after 7 days from the date of the initial advertisement. Once the job posting has closed, applications cannot be changed.

Assessments:

Your skill level in some of the competency areas for this job may be assessed through skills testing.

If you are selected as a top candidate:

• Verification of your education (which may include high school graduation or GED, undergraduate and/or graduate degrees) will be required. You must provide proof of education from an accredited organization/institution.
• If you are identified as a top candidate and are in the military or a veteran, you will need to provide a copy of your DD-214 prior to confirming a start date.
• This position requires a criminal background investigation.

Fair Labor Standards Act:

• This position is classified as EXEMPT (Salaried). Exempt employees are not eligible for overtime compensation.

Critical:

This position has been designated as a Critical Employee position. Critical Employees are considered necessary and vital and supports activities that impact City or department operations. This work can be done while at a designated work site or while working at an alternate work location. Critical employees who are able to work at an alternative work location are required to do so. Schedules may be modified, and employees may be reassigned to another area during extraordinary situations or emergency conditions to provide essential services.

Travel: If you are selected for this position and meet the Driver Safety Standards in the City of Austin Driver Safety Program, you may drive when necessary to multiple locations as part of your regular job duties. Otherwise, you are responsible for getting to and from these locations.

Important Note to Applicants: Please be aware that the Job Posting Close Date reflects the final day to apply, but the posting will close at 11:59 PM the day before the date listed. All application steps, including attachments and submission, must be fully completed before that time.

We also recommend that you save or print a copy of the job posting for your records. Once a posting has closed, it will no longer be viewable in the system.

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JOIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN TEAM

At the City of Austin, we are more than just an employer—we are a vibrant community dedicated to shaping one of the nation's most dynamic and innovative cities. As we strive to fulfill our commitment as public servants, it is important that we ground our efforts in a set of guiding principles – Empathy, Ethics, Excellence, Engagement, and Equity – that anchor our delivery of services that significantly impact the lives of Austinites. Joining the City of Austin means embarking on a purposeful career, contributing to the community, and being part of a forward-thinking organization that values every employee.

What Makes the City of Austin Special?

• Make a Difference: Join a team driving meaningful change in one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation.
• Value and Innovation: Work in an environment where employees are valued, and innovation thrives.
• Competitive Benefits: Enjoy a comprehensive compensation package that includes generous leave, work-life balance programs, and extensive benefits.
• Retirement Security: Plan for the future with the City of Austin Employees' Retirement System.
• Sustainable Transportation Options: Commute easily with access to public transit and bike-friendly infrastructure.
• Focus on Wellness: Stay healthy through wellness programs, on-site fitness centers, and mental health support.
• Career Growth: Advance your skills and expertise with professional development and leadership opportunities.
• Modern Workspaces: Work in innovative and sustainable environments that foster collaboration and inspiration.

By joining us, you become part of a community that values its people and is committed to making Austin the most thriving and resilient city in the country.

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EEO Statement for City of Austin:

The City of Austin will not discriminate against any applicant or employee based on race, creed, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, age, religion, veteran status, disability, or sexual orientation. In addition, the City will not discriminate in employment decisions on the basis of an individual's AIDS, AIDS Related Complex, or HIV status; nor will the City discriminate against individuals who are perceived to be at risk of HIV infection, or who associate with individuals who are believed to be at risk.

City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you require reasonable accommodation during the application process or have a question regarding an essential job function, please call (512) 974-3210 or Texas Relay by dialing 7-1-1.